Frog Sounds

More than 200 frog species live in Madagascar, 99 percent of which exist only on this California-sized island off of the coast of Africa. Many new species are still being discovered. Collaborating with the University of Antananarivo, Museum Curator Christopher Raxworthy and others are working toward a comprehensive list of the frogs on the island. One survey technique uses pitfall traps to capture secretive ground-dwelling frogs. A few species can survive without intact forest. But most others are declining in Madagascar due to habitat loss—primarily forest being cleared for subsistence farming.